Feeling sheepish?

A s an Aries – the sign of the ram – I’m very excited about Chinese New Year as 2015 is the year of the wood sheep. I don’t know if the wood is important or if there is another year of the plastic sheep, but the next 12 months from February 19 until February 7, 2016, will focus on career and relationships, according to the Chinese zodiac.

I looked my Chinese fortune up and was dismayed to see that this year it’s going to be a struggle for me to avoid conflict in my relationships and there isn’t a pay rise or promotion on the horizon. But I can try to alter what is written in the stars with some help from the ancient Chinese practice of feng shui, which aims to harmonise people to their environment.

So in the office I can refuse to sit with my back facing a floor-to-ceiling window (it’s like being on the edge of a cliff career-wise, apparently), I can move any cabinets so they’re not facing me (that’s bad feng shui that affects my body’s energy aura, causing headaches), avoid having my back to open areas (that’s an invitation for colleagues to backstab me) and I can keep a mirror on my desk to deflect bad energy and see who’s coming up behind me. At home, I can remove any shoe racks from the right-hand side of my apartment (that’s the side relating to wealth and shoes are bad luck), I can paint every room a calming beige or white (red is a big no-no as it makes tempers flare) and place a plotted plant between any fire and water elements, for example in the kitchen, to balance them out.

Finally, but most importantly, according to feng shui expert Samita Khanna in our feature on page 31, I need to declutter. So that’s my next weekend sorted – I’ll be calling in the cleaners, having my flat redecorated and then, hopefully, the year of the sheep will be a good one and I’ll have no reason to bleat.

Happy Chinese New Year! Until next week,